This invention is directed to portable lighting devices having multiple uses. In particular, the present invention is for a combination safety strobe device that is visible from 360 degrees around the device. The novel device may be secured to a pet collar, a backpack, a key chain or an article of clothing to increase the visibility of the wearer during nighttime and under water.
When a person or a pet is outdoors during the evening, they may not be visible to automobile drivers and other people. This is especially true from behind the person or domesticated animal. Carrying a flashlight may be cumbersome and inconvenient, and this option is impractical for pets. Additionally, flashlights have limited effectiveness because they only provide light in the direction in which they are pointed.
Other lighting devices known in the art fail to achieve the optimal effect of protecting the person or pet from 360 degrees around, or they are only effective as ornamental lights. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,896 discloses a wristband personal lighting device that resembles a watch or may alternatively be used with a clip to secure to a person""s belt. This patent only provides light in a unidirectional manner, thus failing to protect the wearer from 360 degrees around. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,930,052, 3,689,758 and 3,383,503 disclose ornamental lighted earrings. These three patents may only be secured to the wearer""s ear, thus providing only a limited benefit for people who wear earrings.
Thus, there exists a need for a personal lighting device visible from 360 degrees around that is light, sturdy and well-secured to articles of clothing, pet collars, key chains and backpacks. There is also a need for a lighting device that is waterproof in the event the wearer of the device encounters rain or snow, or other inclement weather, or the wearer of the device ventures into the water, such as a pool, lake, river, ocean, etc.
The instant invention overcomes the shortcomings of existing devices in that it has multiple uses and is visible from 360 degrees around the novel combination safety strobe device 10. Specifically, the present strobe device 10 may be secured to a pet collar 30, a backpack 32, a zipper 40, a key chain 34 or an article of clothing 36. One embodiment of the present invention comprises a translucent spherical housing 12 having a circular opening 46 at its top end 48 and an inner cavity 50 therein; a threaded neck portion 14 having a top end 52 and a bottom end 54, wherein the bottom end 54 is attached to the circular opening 46 of the spherical housing 12; a cylindrical casing 16 placed within the spherical housing 12 such that an open end 58 of the cylindrical casing 16 is positioned to be flush with the bottom end 54 of the neck portion 14 and attached thereto, while a closed end 60 of the cylindrical casing 16 is placed within the inner cavity 50 of the spherical housing 12, whereby a passageway 56 forms between the open 58 and closed 60 ends of the cylindrical casing 16 that continues to the neck portion 14; means 18 for lighting the spherical housing 12 secured within the inner cavity 50 of the spherical housing 12; means 20 for powering the lighting means 18, wherein the powering means 20 is placed inside the passageway 56 of the cylindrical casing 16; circuitry 22 for electrically connecting the powering means 28 and the lighting means 18; means 24 for activating the lighting means 18; means 26 for covering the top end 52 of the neck portion 14; and means 28 for removably securing the novel strobe device 10 to the pet collar 30, backpack 32, key chain 34, zipper 40 or article of clothing 36.
Another embodiment of the present invention comprises securing a rubber cap 112 over the covering means 26 to form a waterproof combination safety strobe device 10.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to teach a combination strobe device that provides a safety light during the nighttime and can be viewed from 360 degrees around the novel device.
Another object of this invention is to teach a combination safety strobe device that has numerous uses.
It is also an object of the instant invention to teach a combination safety strobe device that may be secured to a pet collar, a backpack, a zipper, a key chain or an article of clothing.
A further object of the present invention is to teach a combination safety strobe device that is sturdy and yet light weight to facilitate personal usage.
It is another object of this invention to teach a combination safety strobe device that is waterproof to withstand inclement weather or submersion under water.
It is a further object of the instant invention to teach a combination safety strobe device that is air-tight and can float on water.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other devices for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the invention be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.